SMS, Text-messaging
What is it?
SMS (short message service), or text-messaging, is the sending and receiving of brief communications by text between mobile phones. However, it has now become possible to use your computer to send text messages in bulk, saving you from having to maintain lengthy lists of numbers on your mobile phone.
How can I use it with my students?
Because the length of text messages can be limited to as few as 160 characters, their use in learning is largely restricted to sending basic information only (e.g. room changes). You will, of course, need to know your students’ phone numbers, and there is always the risk of messages going astray.
However, some people are beginning to explore how SMS can be used to provide bite-sized chunks of learning; for example, in foreign languages. To see what is being done in this area, take a look at the Learning-by-sms Website.
Examples
We are still researching examples and case studies for this topic. If you would like to contribute any (whether from your own teaching or from other sources), please contact us.
Where can I find a service?
If you have a mobile phone, then you will be able to send text messages from it.
An example of a service offering bulk SMS from a computer is SMSBlaster for Windows, from VADIAN.NET AG. Although the software is free to download, you will need to pay for the messages that you send.
